The second major announcement came from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which announced that 48 vehicles have earned the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. These cars are all equipped with some advanced technologies and performed well in five areas that rate crashworthiness.

To be clear, these innovations are not about futuristic dreams or James Bond gadgets only available in luxury cars. IIHS reports that these potentially life-saving technologies are even available on some lower priced cars. For example, auto-braking is available in one model with a base price below $20,000. It is good policy and good business to make these technologies available to the greatest number of drivers; safety shouldn’t only be for those who can afford it.

Today you can purchase a car that will help keep you in your lane, warn you if another vehicle is in your blind spot or even slam on the brakes if a front end collision appears imminent. I’ve tested these technologies and some require us to think and drive differently – all the more reason that we understand how they work.

For decades, during a crash, safety belts, air bags and crumple zones have proven their life-saving benefits. Now, the manufacturers and regulators are stepping up their game with new safety technologies that can help prevent the crash from ever happening.

Technology: You may love it or hate it, but it will play a vital role in making our roadways safer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has pledged to add automatic emergency braking (AEB) to its list of recommended safety technologies. AEB and similar technologies can significantly reduce drivers’ risk of rear-end crashes.

As an employer, what can you do to help workers understand and learn how to use safety features built into vehicles they drive for work—whether you provide these vehicles, or workers drive their own vehicles? Read more to find out!